Injury Update: Marcus Mariota ruled out, Zach Mettenberger to start for Titans
The Tennessee Titans will be without starting quarterback Marcus Mariota on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
Marcus Mariota had a tough go of it when the Miami Dolphins sacked him five times in the first half of last Sunday’s game, but none hurt more than a second quarter hit by defensive end Olivier Vernon. A late hit, Mariota suffered a sprained ligament in his knee and has been ruled out by head coach Ken Whisenhunt for Week 7 per Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com.
Zach Mettenberger will start for #Titans
— Terry McCormick (@terrymc13) October 23, 2015
That means that second-year quarterback Zach Mettenberger will get his first start of the 2015 season. Mettenberger has thrown just eight passes this season, but is no stranger to the Titans system. After being selected in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Mettenberger started six games for Tennessee last season, completing 107-of-179 passes (59.8%) for 1,412 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
His quarterback rating of 83.4 in 2014 had some pundits debating whether or not the Titans would trade the second pick in the 2015 draft. However, Tennessee opted to keep the pick and spent it on Heisman Trophy winner Mariota.
That has proven to be a wise decision for the Titans. Despite their 1-4 record, Mariota has played excellent, completing 103-of-162 passes attempts (63.6%) for 1,239 yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions. That has given Mariota a 92.6 quarterback rating during his rookie season. Additionally, he has rushed the ball 10 times for 72 yards on the season, although he also owns five fumbles on the season.
Unfortunately, the Titans record can fall firmly on the supporting cast around him. In addition to a sketchy offensive line, Tennessee ranks 16th in the NFL with an average of 107.6 rushing yards per game.